Quick Nits

It's NBA playoff time, and I'm pretty excited. As much as I love March Madness, I'm equally attracted to the epic romance of a 7 game series. One thing that continues to baffle me about the NBA, however, is how it's become common knowledge and completely acceptable that superstars get beneficial calls from the refs.

It's topical lately, because both Phil Jackson and Kevin Garnett have publicly expressed dismay that Thunder rookie Kevin Durant is already getting a "superstar" number of trips to the charity stripe. Note, their beef isn't that he is receiving BS calls from the refs, it's that he's a rookie, he isn't at that level yet to receive such BS calls from the refs. I listened to two talking heads on radio today argue back and forth whether Durant had "paid his dues" to earn such preferencial treatment.

I thought sports was supposed to be the great equalizer. The better players, the better teams, they earn their advantage in the form of higher seeding, home-court-advantage, etc. But once the ball is tipped, it's stupid to continue to favor specific players based on a ref's arbitrary and standardless "superstar" assessment.

For a game and a country that was shocked, SHOCKED, over the Tim Doughnahy points-shaving scandal, it blows my mind that this has become such an accepted part of the game. It's the same thing; it's points shaving, except no money changes hands (unless you count the revenue the league gets from its better players continuing to play). I guess institutionalized points shaving would be a better name for it.

If I'm crazy, and that's the way it is, then at least put it out in the open. Have the league designate which players have crossed the threshold into "preference-land" so we can all be on the same page. But having these secret pacts, these games within the game, it's an insult to the spirit of competition.

The Marquis Program

I am not one of those fans that has a pathological need to pretend that everything is okay. I wallow. I despair. I'm an equal opportunity booster and critic.

So I am not going to sugar-coat the Marquis Teauge recruitment, and the fact that it hangs in the balance. Word is Teague has an athlete/man-crush on fellow star guard forward and newest Wildcat Michael Gilchrist, and the two may seek to play their college ball together (despite the fact that since they're both true points, it doesn't really make sense, OK, apparently he's a wing, so it makes perfect sense. Damn you, Pidge). Teague's recruitment has been drawn out interminably, and it's down to two schools. You know which two.

He's not just any other player, or even any other superstud. Words describing his weekend performance at Boo Williams were "transcendent" and "unguardable". Adding him to our already impressive 2011 class, with a solid core in place, and you can pencil the Cards into the preseason top #5.

Whichever way the Teague-coin lands, it's guaranteed to be the commitment that launched a thousand articles. Pitino renewed, or Pitino bested and buried? It's one or the other, and nothing in between. No one player is bigger than the game; rest assured, Louisville will thrive if the Teague Era is in red, and survive if it's in blue.

But fans are itching to get back into the banner business. Barring a tremendous year of overachievement from next season's squad, a stacked 2011 team mixed with vets and rookies, spearheaded by Marquis Teague, is our next best chance to win a championship.

UK's recruiting haul yesterday was not surprising, but that shouldn't overshadow its impressiveness. We're in an arms race, and Marquis Teague is a major weapon.

Baloney

Okay, I'm not even going to pretend that this is related to Cardinal athletics, though as you'll see, I end up making an admirable effort to connect the two... Like my collaborator, I'm hardly a Tiger defender (as if anyone is these days); for what it's worth, when it comes to golf I root for the Irishman from Ballyroan, Padraig Harrington. But I think that Jim Nantz coming out yesterday and criticizing Tiger Woods for swearing on the course is, in itself, utter bull!#$%. Now, did Woods promise to do better, as Nantz alludes to? Yeah, he did. And he failed to honor his promise. Shocker. (And yes, kudos to Phil Mickelson for controlling his inner potty-mouth. I'm sure he's never swore on the golf course either). And okay, maybe it's even predictable that this blog wouldn't be as disturbed by a little profanity, given some of my colleague's, um, "editorial choices" in the past.

But Nantz feigning disappointment about Woods using foul language, to the point of lamenting that "if I said what he said on the air, I would be fired"? It's a little ridiculous. Woods isn't a broadcaster. He didn't grab a camera and start shouting profanities in some kind of crazed hooked-shot-induced frenzy. In the seconds after hitting a bad shot, a frustrated Tiger let loose on a few unholy zingers. In golf. Is this really strange? Now, I'm not much of a golfer myself (attention Mr. Red and theHoff: I do realize I have understated it a bit... it needs not be pointed out further). So I'll ask those that are: when you hit a bad shot, aren't you also prone to some choice words as a first reaction? Now multiply that by a career comeback and a Masters final round of golf.

Still, there's something that is even more obvious, and more absurd, at work here... We do realize WHY we poor viewers are subjected daily to such verbal filth, right? Because CBS chooses to mike Woods and all other golfers. As if after hitting the driver, they might say something truly enlightening. And when you mike a superstar golfer with a history of on-the-course profanity who is having a bad day in the final round of one of the only four yearly tournaments that he cares about, well, seriously? What do you expect? "Ah, tiddilywinks TIGER!" If CBS is so concerned about fans' tender ears, the solution is common-sense: Don't mike the golfers. At least not this one.

And please, Jim Nantz, a little perspective on the "how about the father and son who are standing right there by the tee?" Isn't that holding golf to a higher standard than other sports and its athletes? You think that same father and son hear any differently when they're sitting courtside at an NBA game? Or behind the batter's box? Check out Charlie Springer's latest summary of Cards football... sounds like the coaches are having a foul language field day out there this spring! Should we check Charlie Strong into bad-word rehab? (On a side note, this can't be why Kragthorpe chose to close practices, can it? Somehow, I have my doubts there were many infractions much beyond the "gosh darnit!" "awww, shucks!" and "golly gee gullible!" variety. But who knows, maybe he was a closet swearer. God knows he made the fans swear a lot).

Okay, the above points can be rebutted easily enough. And I do believe that we should hold professional athletes to some higher standard. Maybe what's really bothering me is this: that Jim Nantz, who apparently has felt this way for some time, is choosing now to convey his public disapproval. Woods has been cussing and cursing and swearing on the tour for fifteen damn years. Did Jim Nantz ever raise a stink about it in the good old days? You know, during the era of Saint Tiger? Blasphemy! But now, now that Woods is cutting creepy and desperate father-from-the-dead commercials and losing his cool rather than come roaring back in the final round and, thanks to his own shallow life, has probably earned himself a divorce petition coming his way... Jim Nantz decides that THIS is the moment to take Tiger Woods to task for having a potty mouth? Not exactly a Profile in Courage, if you ask me. It's just piling on.

Fellow Dorks

I'm written a few words on Marquis Teauge's impending (and indefinite) decision. I may post it later, but most it just conjecture and projected insecurity. I'm just not in the mood right now, perhaps we should just wait for the announcement.

So since it's a slow UofL day, for now check out this hilarious Star Wars, Uncut video. For those of you with lives that may be unfamiliar with the project, it began as a grassroots endeavour where diehards would film their own 15-second clip from the movie. It's slowly being edited together, and the "Escape From the Death Star" scene is complete, and it's terrific...


Star Wars Uncut "The Escape" from Casey Pugh on Vimeo.

(Hat tip: toplessrobot)

Justin Coleman and Russ Smith

The two future Cardinals teamed up in the 2 on 2 competition Friday night. The picture quality is bad, and the 2 on 2 idea itself is kind of stupid, but forward to the 2:50 mark for a nasty put-back slam by Justin Coleman...

He'll fit right in

I agree, Cardinal Laws has perhaps been a tad over-the-top with as many anti-UK posts as UofL commentary lately. But this one was just too good to pass up. Here's Turkish star and soon-to-be Wildcat Enes Kanter on his eligibility issues...

DraftExpress: The biggest obstacle to making that jump often revolves around money paid to players before making the jump. Were you paid during your time with Fenerbahce?

Enes Kanter: No, I don’t know anything about that.

He continued, "What is this money of which you speak, care for a game of backgammon?" Okay, the last one's made-up. But the point remains, plausible deniablity has gone a long way for Cal in the past. I guess that speech broadcast in 8 languages was worthwhile after all, the message was received all the way in Turkey.

(Hat tip: straightpinkie.com)